Autodesk Customer Success Story Marvel Machining System

Marvel Machining System PowerMill brings cycle time LOCATION Coimbatore, India down by 30%: Jobshop owner SERVICES Autodesk PowerMill Autodesk PowerShape Extensive use of software makes it possible to produce complex parts with high precision and within record time.

“We started evaluating various CAM software available in the market and realised PowerMill was the best suited. We became one of the first to choose PowerMill in the region.”

— Thangaraj, Co-Founder, Marvel Machining System

Image courtesy of Marvel Machining System

Customer’s Profile machine—the Haas VF-2. But today, in a shop floor spread across 3,000 sq ft, the company “Quality is not an act, it’s a habit,” believes boasts of a wide range of state-of-the-art Thangaraj, the Co-Founder of Marvel technologies. Machining System. “From the time of the company’s inception in 2002, our motto has been to never compromise on the quality of The company has been involved in the our product’s output. Hence, our shop floor is manufacturing of critical aerospace components always equipped with state-of-the-art like impellers and blisks; high-precision technologies—be it for machines or software,” components like food industry pumps, oil pumps, he says, adding, “PowerMill is one such camshafts, alloy wheels, engine parts, and investment.” speedometer dies. It also deals in medical Learning the ropes components like heart valves, face mask press rollers and dies, and parts for all types of moulding Before Marvel Machining System (MMS), works. Thangaraj made his mark at Premier Instruments and Controls Limited (PRICOL). MMS has always been ahead of its time. In 2002, “Thirty-two years ago, I joined PRICOL as an when most companies functioned using EDM operator in its tool room division. Eventually, I was given the responsibility of conventional tools, MMS was busy trying to operating the CNC machine. It was here that I complete its first order from PRICOL, which learned about tool designing, process required a high-end CAM software that could planning, machine operation, and CAM handle 3D geometry, provide easy workflow, programming, among other fundamentals of generate a collision-free tool path, and deliver manufacturing processes,” he says. excellent finishing operation. “We started Presently, Thangaraj is not only a proficient evaluating various CAM software available in the programmer, but also heads the design and market and realised PowerMill was the best suited. manufacturing at MMS. We became one of the first to choose PowerMill in the region,” recounts Thangaraj, adding, “One A successful launch particular feature that attracted us to PowerMill MMS was set up with only one milling was its holder collision checking.” Autodesk Customer Success Story Marvel Machining System

Once a tool path is generated, the operation can be left to PowerMill because it ensures there are no gouges punctuation.According to Thangaraj, this feature was one of Thangaraj explains that for any kind of deep the deciding factors and saved him considerable channel machining, the rib machining feature is “PowerMill offers special time, reduced part rejections and ensured safe applied. He also vouches for vortex machining, strategies for blisk machining operation. PowerMill also helps MMS ensure an area clearance strategy that rapidly removes that the product is accurate. “To ensure material from a 3D part while controlling the tool which can simplify impeller accuracy, a smooth tool path without any load. machining and makes complex collision and gouges is necessary. Gouges will part manufacturing effortless.” require some form of manual re-work, which is Talking about the software’s other features, both costly and time consuming. It also relies on Thangaraj says, “Since we work with aerospace the skills of the operator to fix the problem. But applications, Blisk machining features come in — Thangaraj, this feature helps in checking toolpath against very handy for impeller and diffuser parts. Another small feature, but an important one, for the cutting portion of the tool and the model,” Co-Founder, he says. smooth roughing operation is ‘Unsafe Segment Marvel Machining System Removal’, where the tool will automatically Automating the process restrict closed encounter areas.” MMS has automated its manufacturing operation PowerMill has created a safe manufacturing and programming activities. Once it receives a environment at MMS. “Another advantage of The end result 3D model from a client, the file is imported into using PowerMill is that we can easily find the PowerShape design software to check its experienced programmers as this CAM software The aerospace, medical, and tooling manufacturability and identify surface faults such is used extensively in India,” he says. industries have little tolerance for errors. This as trimming error. means that the manufacturer has to not only Proud Projects be adequately skilled to cater to those “Sometimes, machining requires us to seal the industries but also has to possess the holes or channels. This can be rectified using Aerospace component manufacturing is usually challenging because of the complexity in necessary infrastructure. To meet their PowerShape. Its ‘Solid Doctor’ feature is a great geometry and materials. “I would like to highlight customers’ demands, MMS believes in being tool, as it helps us identify and fix faults in solid. two complex projects of the aerospace industry, equipped with the required state-of-the-art Once we are satisfied with the file’s which we successfully completed with the help technologies. manufacturability, the 3D model is exported to of PowerMill,” says a beaming Thangaraj. PowerMill for programming,” Thangaraj explains. “We have never compromised on technology. In fact, all our technologies The tool definitions like diameter, length, and The first project that Thangaraj was referring to synchronise with each other. For instance, shank diameter, among others, are already was the impeller manufacturing project that DMG MORI and Haas Machines operate stored in PowerMill. “The standard cutting data MMS bagged from one of the largest space smoothly with PowerMill, resulting in optimal from the tool library is also imported. We utilise organisations. This project required us to achieve a 5 microns accuracy and eliminate output. Most of our customers, which include those inputs in the tool path strategy to create a manual polishing, which is very difficult. some of the big names in the industry, keep tool path,” explains Thangaraj. Achieving this result on hard-to-machine coming back to us with newer projects. This Once a tool path is generated, the operation can materials made it even more challenging. is the biggest testimony of our work. That’s be left to PowerMill because it ensures there are “PowerMill offers special strategies for blisk why it’s important to invest in the right no collisions or gouges. It also produces a high machining which can simplify impeller technology,” says Thangaraj. quality NC code that MMS engineers know can machining and makes complex part With Coimbatore emerging as one of the be trusted to produce an accurate machined manufacturing effortless,” says Thangaraj. most important manufacturing hubs in the component in time. “If issues crop up, the Apart from other features, the ‘Blisk Machining’ country, Thangaraj is optimistic of a brighter software will flag it or stop the operation, which function proved to be particularly beneficial. It future. “Currently, we own three PowerMill makes it very reliable,” he says. helped in the impeller machining strategy during seats and are looking forward to acquiring the roughing and finishing operation. Thanks to more when we expand our operations,” he this function, the cycle time was reduced; the says. operation was safe and the outcome was highly accurate. “These 18 years have been surreal. Today, we have orders from large public and private “The second challenging project was when we organisations. I believe, at the end of the had to make a cluster part for an aerospace day, it’s all about how smartly you invest and customer. The challenge was to get the part how you turn those investments into profits. I manufactured within a deadline, which meant must say that PowerMill has been an integral that we had to reduce the cycle time. Usually, part of MMS and has played a vital role in tool path operation cannot be performed our success. We urge the Autodesk team to continuously, but with ‘Positioning Milling’, we continue supporting SMEs, like ours, that saved on programming time as well as achieved form the backbone of the Indian the desired accuracy. Thanks to PowerMill, we manufacturing sector and help us live up to successfully reduced the cycle time by almost our country’s slogan ‘Make in India’,” says Image courtesy of Marvel Machining System 30%,” he explains. Thangaraj before signing off.

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